Grubhub Launches The Drop Dine-In Rewards Program

Grubhub is rolling out The Drop, a weekly card-linked rewards program that gives diners credit for dining in at participating restaurants after paying with a linked card. The program launched on September 29, 2026, with a limited beta in New York City and Chicago, offering users Grubhub credit when they dine at a rotating cast of restaurants.

Every Thursday, customers will get up to three personalized offers from nearby restaurants within the Grubhub app. To receive the reward, they must claim one offer, dine at the restaurant, and pay the bill with a card linked to their Grubhub account. The credit, such as a $5 reward from a $20 purchase, then posts automatically to their account for future orders. No receipts, promo codes, or manual redemption are required.

The initial beta group will receive weekly offers for several weeks. Grubhub plans to roll out The Drop to all diners in New York City and Chicago later in October, with additional cities to follow. The program is designed to be ongoing, not a limited-time promotion.

Restaurant Participation and Incentives

Initial restaurant participants include major chains like Tacombi, Juice Generation, and Chopt Creative Salad Co., alongside Dig Inn, Dos Toros, Momoya, 7th Street Burger, and Pokeworks. There are no upfront costs or platform fees for restaurants to join. They only pay when a diner visits and spends, with every visit verified at the register via card-linking. This means a restaurant is never billed for budget that didn't turn into a guest.

Restaurants set their own offers, though Grubhub recommends reward tiers based on the concept. A coffee shop might offer $5, a fast-casual restaurant $8, and a full-service restaurant $20 or more. The only rule is that the offer must feel like a real reward, not a coupon. Grubhub uses customer insights to match offers with diners based on their existing spending habits.

Strategy and Competitive Context

The Drop is Grubhub's first move into in-person dining and its first consumer-facing product to emerge from its acquisition of Claim, a restaurant rewards app specializing in card-linked cash-back technology. Howard Migdal, CEO of Grubhub, called it the company's "first product where restaurant spend is tied directly to someone eating in person." He described it for restaurants as a measurable way to reach highly engaged diners, drive incremental visits, and encourage repeat business.

This follows similar dine-in rewards programs from competitors DoorDash and Uber Eats, as platforms compete to capture more restaurant occasions beyond delivery. Grubhub said the program is a significant expansion of its marketplace strategy. The company stated, "The Drop is designed to strengthen Grubhub’s offering for customers and help drive repeat orders for restaurants for both delivery and dine-in." Grubhub declined to provide specifics on the program's economics or what percentage of each sale it takes.

Market Outlook and Next Steps

The launch comes as industry reports note a slowdown in chain restaurant sales, though sectors like coffee and snacks have thrived. For Grubhub, success will mean diners returning regularly to try new places and use their rewards, while restaurants gain new guests and repeat visits. Any eligible restaurant partner in participating markets can join.

The Drop will continue its limited rollout in New York City and Chicago for several weeks before expanding to all users in those markets, with additional cities to follow later.